Calvin College will hold its annual Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 20 at 3 p.m. in its Fieldhouse. Approximately 850 Calvin seniors will take part in the Ceremony, the 80th such conferring of four-year degrees in Calvin's 125-year history. Calvin awarded its first bachelor's degrees in 1921 to a senior class of eight men. This year's class, the class of 2000, includes about 500 women and 350 men.
The 2000 Commencement speaker will be Dr. Alvin Plantinga (pictured above in a photo from the South Bend Tribune). Plantinga is a renowned Christian philosopher who is a professor at Notre Dame, a former Calvin professor and a 1954 graduate of Calvin. He will speak on the importance and necessity of Christian scholarship. 
The Commencement Ceremony also will be marked by the presentation of Calvin's highest alumni honor -- the Distinguished Alumni Award -- to James Haveman of Grand Rapids and Elmer Yazzie of Rehoboth, New Mexico (see below for bios). Calvin College has presented its Distinguished Alumni Awards -- intended to honor those who have made significant contributions in their field of endeavor -- annually since 1966. 
Commencement actually begins on Friday, May 19 with a 5 p.m. Worship Service in the Calvin Chapel. Following that service, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a Commencement Cookout on the Commons Lawn, catered by Calvin's Creative Dining Services. There will be a concert at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center and an Education department Teacher Certificate Ceremony at 8:15 in the Chapel. 
The events of Saturday, May 20 begin with a Senior Breakfast at 9 a.m. in the Commons Dining Hall. There will be a Commencement Rehearsal at 11 a.m. for all graduates. Then comes the 3 p.m. Commencement Ceremony, followed by a 4:30 p.m. Reception on the Commons Lawn. 
BIO OF JAMES HAVEMAN 
James Haveman is Director of the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). He manages almost 6,000 employees and a budget of $8.2 billion. He oversees a mind-boggling roster of areas that impact virtually every resident of the state every day -- issues such as public health, mental health, substance abuse programs, medical services and Medicaid, services to the aging, drug control and crime victims services. 
Haveman was appointed Director of the Michigan Department of Mental Health by Governor John Engler effective in 1991 and then named (again by Engler) to lead the newly created MDCH in April 1996. Engler says Haveman's commitment to public service is distinguished by his willingness to embrace change and his unwillingness to accept mediocrity. 
"More than anything," he says, "he (Haveman) is a problem solver -- a public servant who quickly responds to challenges with creativity, compassion and insight." 
Haveman's work has not been without controversy. Engler asked Haveman in 1996 to provide a more comprehensive approach to health care in the state. Part of that process was to meld six departments into one. That level of downsizing drew critique from persons who worried that options for accessible health care would be cut back. 
"In all of my efforts, it has not been my philosophy to reduce services; I simply want to turn dollars and administration over to local communities, " says Haveman. "They know best how to serve their residents. "The Governor has supported me," he continued. "Change things, don't blink, stay with it. The good that comes out of change will prevail. There are 100 or more lobbyists watching each detail of my budget. There is enormous pressure to keep the status quo." 
Haveman has decided to shake up his personal status quo too. His latest campaign has him in the gym ever day before work. "We've launched a campaign centering on taking personal responsibility for your own health," he says. "I can't ask people across the state to get on board unless I am, too. So I've set a goal to lose 20 pounds and, believe me, folks are watching me at the health club." 
Haveman's ties to Calvin run deep. His father was one of the architects who developed the college's master plan. Haveman graduated from Calvin in 1966 with a sociology degree. He then earned a master's in social work from Michigan State University before going on to serve as executive director of three major non-profit organizations in Grand Rapids: Project Rehab, a substance abuse treatment agency; Kent County Mental Health; and Bethany Christian Services, an adoption and child welfare agency. 
Haveman credits his father with giving him an "architect's eye" for problem solving. "Dad helped me develop the talent to see things as they should be, like seeing a building," he said. "My job is to change what's not working and I need to put the pieces of an issue together and consider different outcomes. There are thousands of details, and they come at you fast and furious. Your goal is to stay calm, know God is in charge and develop a course of action that's most appropriate." 
BIO OF ELMER YAZZIE 
Elmer Yazzie has for 25 years been a teacher at Rehoboth Christian School in Rehoboth, New Mexico. He is a reservation-born Native American with a Dutch-American wife who teaches at a school where many cultures come together. Beyond that he is an award-winning artist who incorporates his heritage and his deep Christian faith into his work. 
In an article he wrote in 1996 he said: "Native American lifestyle is spiritual. Artistic design and spirituality are used quite often in Native American belief. These designs serve as reminders. Many of the designs I do are created as visual reminders of my faith. They often meet the spiritual needs of others. I dedicate each inspired, completed piece. The piece itself is not to be worshiped, but the Spirit of God can communicate through its physical presentation because it is spiritually blessed." 
A 1976 graduate of Calvin, Yazzie was raised on a Navajo reservation in Shiprock, N.M. It was there he began to develop his philosophy of art. "In Navajo culture the focus is put on the spirituality of art," he says. "It's not seen as a physical task, but as a spiritual task. It's the combination of my 'Navajo-ness' and Christianity that gives me an understanding of how I look at my work." 
As an art major at Calvin, Yazzie was challenged by Professor Chris Overvoorde to look at what his art meant. "He didn't just want me to throw something down, he wanted me to find the meaning of it," says Yazzie. 
He now tries to instill that quest for meaning in his Rehoboth Christian students. "I try to teach my students," he says, "to ask how God has chosen them to assist in the building of His kingdom." 
To that end, Yazzie spends a lot of time in prayer and with nature to determine how it is God wants to use him. "God speaking through nature is very powerful," he says. "It is so beautiful here where I live. There is something very inspirational about drawing canyons and seeing the strength of the stone. It can be a very powerful experience." 
About nine years ago as a response to the influence of nature on his work, Yazzie began painting with a yucca brush. 
"I use the male yucca plant, which is of the lily family," he says. "I like that because of what it represents for Christians." 
Yazzie fashions the brushes by chewing on the spindly, pointed leaves until they fray. "I tried it and it worked," he says. "It draws people in to what I do as an artist and it gets people asking questions about it." 
These questions have led Yazzie into many experiences, including many cross-cultural ones, through which he has had the opportunity to bridge gaps. "It has become a purpose," he says. "I didn't realize it was a task I was called to, but I have begun to realize it more and more."